Forever A SOLDIER
by GoodGurl
Summary: It's now nineteen years since the disaster in Midgar and a team of new SOLDIERs, led by a grown up Marlene Wallace are sent to investigate Midgar once more. There, unresolved mysteries and past memories begin to take light! ^_^ Please r/r! THANX!


GoodGurl: Hiyah! Hee hee dis is a whole new story for me from doing Final Fantasy 7 and yeah, please be gentle, k? If ur confused, well I'd be gladly tell u about whats going on in dis first chapter by emailing me. Well anyways, here u r! Please r/r and enjoy! ^_^  
  
Forever A SOLDIER  
  
Chapter 1 - Prologue  
  
The skies suddenly grew dark and the clouds hovered above Junon. A woman, twenty three, walked in the main hallway of the third floor, her heeled boots clicking on the wooden tiles. Angrily, she passed by the protesting secretary who was telling her not to enter the office and despite the gentle tone, the blond woman's voice held something firm about it. She glanced at the woman and frowned. "Please don't stop me, Alisha. You and I both know why I plan on going in there and interrupting his conversation on the phone."  
  
Alisha said nothing as she watched the woman open the double doors of her boss' office. The short haired woman went inside, making her presence known by slamming the door behind her. A man, twenty seven, sat in a large, swivelling chair and by the sound of the door slamming, he immediately turned his chair around to see her approaching him. She held a scowl on her face he rarely saw on her, but Theobald Silverberg knew better than to ask why. It would mean he was trying to deny it and it would blow off more steam from both sides of his ex-girlfriend's ears. Instead of looking away from her glowering eyes, the young president of Silverberg Inc. and the owner of SOLDIER, stared straight at them, his face full of tranquility. He clasped his hands in front of him, settling them on the table and nodded.   
  
"Hello, Marlene, what can I do for you?"  
  
Marlene Wallace slammed her hand hard on top of a newspaper she produced from out of nowhere on the table. "What the hell is this, Silverberg!? There's news of a meteor that crashed on Midgar and now you tell the press that you're sending some SOLDIERs to 'investigate?' Is this true?"  
  
Theo nodded. "Yes, that's true."  
  
Surprised by his honesty, which she knew he was incapable of, Marlene sat down on the chair in front of his desk and folded her arms across her chest, keeping her face as angry as possible. "Were you planning on telling me sooner or later or not tell me at all and send them yourself? You know that the men I'm training right now are not ready to go." She leaned forward and frowned, letting her anger fade away. "What are you planning exactly, Theo? What are you trying to achieve just by investigating this meteor? You know a lot of them have been coming there lately!" She stood up and paced around the room. "Midgar is a city attracting a lot of them!"  
  
"I told the press I'd send TWO of the best SOLDIERS in your squad. Is that so bad? What about those two boys? You recruited this new boy and he seems capable enough to handle tough situations." He stood up and clasped his hands behind him and turned around to face the large window behind him. "That meteor I saw crash land in Midgar is quite different than the other meteors I see everyday, Lieutenant."  
  
Marlene stopped pacing and stared at his back, clenching and unclenching her fists. "They are just boys, Theo. You really think they're ready to handle anything at their age? I was hired to train these SOLDIERS, not send them off into missions! The parents were SPECIFICALLY told-"  
  
"They were specifically told that they would be in SOLDIER to train, yes, but they were also told that if anything were to happen to the world, they would be sent right away to protect it. That's the point of being a SOLDIER, Marlene. Haven't you learned anything from Cloud Strife?"  
  
Marlene grimaced. "Cloud Strife quit SOLDIER, because he didn't like hurting anyone."  
  
Theo sighed. "SOLDIER in the past hurt people, but SOLDIER will soon be the next saviours of the Universe. Why else do you think these young men joined SOLDIER in the first place? I want them sent there, Wallace and I expect you to follow my orders. If you don't send them there and if that meteor turns out to be another Jenovah monster that will destroy the universe, then it's in your hands."  
  
The Lieutenant of SOLDIER had nothing else to say. She frowned, turned and left, without another word. Marlene wanted to kick Theobald Silverberg right in the ass, but she couldn't help and wonder if Theo was right. What if that meteor held danger somehow and it would be her fault if she didn't go and investigate? Then again, if she and some SOLDIERS are sent in Midgar, where a lot of dangerous monsters roamed around, their lives would be left in her hands to make sure nothing happened to them. Either way, the SOLDIER reputation would be left in ruins. Marlene left the building with uneasiness in her head. She had left her men too long to wait while she left them without a word when she heard the news from some of her men who had heard the whole conversation between President Silverberg and the Junon Press. She entered the training area with a weary heart. Theo didn't threaten to take away her job this time if she disobeyed, but he had given her a reason to obey him- one that was even riskier than her own job.  
  
"What's up, Leiutenant?" came a voice of a very curious nineteen year old man. Marlene looked up from her reverie and noticed Cedrik Strife and his new friend and newcomer, Sileas Arrowsmith. Sileas had the oddest silver hair, which quite reminded her of a tale a long time ago of a man with long silver hair that terrorized the world and was defeated by eight brave souls- one of them dying in the blade of the silver haired man, thus the reason of the world's safety from danger. Amongst the eight people, was her father, Barrett Wallace, who was a member of Avalanche and when Marlene was sixteen, died of a heart attack. Ever since his death, Marlene began training as a gun fighter and when she turned twenty, became the first woman Leiutenant of SOLDIER. Marlene was trying to make sure if the silver haired youth that Theo introduced to her was not related to the late General Sephiroth. The resemblance between the boy and the man were simply uncanny, but Marlene erased that thought. His personality was a lot different than the Sephiroth her father told her about.  
  
As the adopted Aunt of Cedrik Strife, son of her father's close friends, Cloud and Tifa Strife, Marlene didn't want to announce of their departure for Midgar yet, not with the other SOLDIERS who held their ears up to listen to her news of the day. She patted the boy on the shoulder and joined the men, without answering her nephew's question. "Men, please line up!"  
  
The young men, who had scattered around in two or three groups to talk among themselves, immediately followed her direct orders and lined up in one row in front of her. Marlene looked around at all of them, making sure all her men were present in her time of need. She had no choice now. All of them seemed to be holding desperate looks on their faces, wondering if something had happened. ALL of them had once asked if they were able to go to missions just like the SOLDIERS of before. The 'SOLDIERS of before,' meaning the time Sephiroth was alive.  
  
"Some of you...well... all of you, had asked once if you were going to missions." Marlene paused and looked around, keeping her hands clasped behind her back and paced back and forth from each men. "Well, you're in luck. A mission has been given to us SOLDIERS." She paused again as wave of murmurs escaped the men's lips. "However..." she started again. The murmurs suddenly stopped. "Not all of you are coming. I do not think ALL of you are capable of handling dangerous missions. Some, however ARE, but what I want to know... to those who I think ARE capable of handling tough missions... will you be able to handle it?Are you willing to go out and risk your lives?"  
  
A chuckle escaped her nephew's lips. "Awww, come on now, Lieutenant! You've seen us work hard! We are ALL able to handle it! I'm not sure about the rest of you, if this mission has to do with saving the world, then I'd gladly take it!"   
  
Many young men nodded in agreement.  
  
Marlene almost smiled at Cedrik's enthusiasm, but checked herself. "So you are willing to risk your life, Strife? Because you're one of those men I believe that's capable to go to this particular mission." She turned her eyes on Sileas. "You as well, Mr. Arrowsmith." She turned her eyes on several young men who were able bodied and called their names. When she was finished, she stepped back and told those who were coming to the mission to step forward, while those who weren't to stay in line. She noticed the disappointed looks on some of their faces. "Don't be disappointed if you weren't picked. This is no contest on who wins. This is simply a dangerous mission. You should ask yourself first if you are able to handle yourself getting injured or killed before you get disappointed of not being able to be in a mission. Just be glad you're not in it, but I know in time, you will be. You are all dismissed. Those in the mission, please see me at six o'clock tonight and I will discuss the groups and what exactly we're investigating in Midgar." With that said, Marlene turned and left for her quarters.   
  
Cedrik and Sileas, including some of those picked to go to Midgar stayed behind to discuss what they were getting into. Cedrik was excited about it, though he was quite terrifed (jokingly), wondering what type of monsters they were going to face while investigating Midgar. "Who knows, there are probably cross bred monsters around there and who knows how ugly they can be," the dark haired boy spoke, shuddering.  
  
Sileas, however, was just happy that he could go so he can use his new sword techniques on some monsters. He smiled at that thought. It was a wonderful feeling just to have his 'Devil's Cut' used on an adult Cerberus.   
  
Trina Highwind, seventeen, the only girl in SOLDIER to ever make it, shuddered at the thought of Cedrik's words. Perhaps the only pilot who is never afraid of heights, but afraid of facing even the ugliest monsters. "Uggh! I hate looking at ugly monsters, especially the slimy ones! Why do I have to *&%@ be in it anyway? Does it look like I'm &*#$ tough!?" (Note: You can definitely tell where she gets her words from ^_^;)  
  
"Geez, Trina, you're actually the only girl who uses the language from the book of potty mouths!" Cedrik replied, directly towards the girl's cussing.   
  
Sileas laughed, while Trina Highwind just frowned.  
  
"Give her a break, Strife," came a fourth voice in the crowd of SOLDIERS who were just leaving the training area. Leon Vargas, eighteen, ran a hand through his thick, short, red hair and joined his girlfriend and the two young men.   
  
"So I take it you're in the mission with us too? I mean why else would you be here? Bragging is so like you!" Cedrik teased.  
  
Leon brushed Cedrik's insult with a simple hand gesture and put his arm around his girlfriend. "Well, at least we still have our dignity, Strife. Some of the idiots who didn't make it in the mission are feeling sorry for themselves because they weren't good enough just like us." He grinned and winked at those men teasingly who heard him say those words. "Then again, I guess they're just not ready yet."  
  
Cedrik shook his head, laughing. "I think the only idiot here, Vargas is you!"  
  
Leon chuckled. "I guess so! Let's go Highwind." He saluted the two men and grabbed his girlfriend's hand and began dragging her away.  
  
Trina waved at them. "You guys wanna come with us?"  
  
Sileas raised an eyebrow curiously at the couple leaving.  
  
"Where you going?" Cedrik yelled after them.  
  
Leon turned his head at them. "We're going to a club! If you wanna come, we gotta leave now! The club I found gets busy easilly!"  
  
Cedrik glanced at his friend quickly. "Whaddya say, Sil? You up for it?"  
  
The silver haired youth glanced at his watch and hesitated. "Don't we have to meet the Leiutenant in five hours? And what club opens around noon?"  
  
As if owning ears that could hear from a distance, Leon stopped and turned around, just in front of the door that led to the first floor. "The type that's good and lasts until midnight. This is the only chance of us going you know, Arrowsmith!"  
  
Sileas frowned, but Cedrik seemed more interested. The dark haired youth looked at him once again and shrugged. "So, we party for five hours, what's the big deal? We need a break from all of this! It's been months since we've actually gone to a club!"  
  
The silver haired man was still unsure, but before he could say another word, Cedrik was already dragging him behind the couple not too far away. Sileas was protesting, but Cedrik didn't seem to hear him as they entered the elevator and pressed the button for the first floor, where small shops and bars were present.  
  
********************************  
  
Marlene sat in her quarters, wondering to herself why she agreed to this. She was risking the boys' lives more just by sending them to this mission. It didn't matter anymore about her job. Would their lives really end if they didn't go to Midgar to investigate? What if Theobald Silverberg was wrong about this particular meteor that could possibly end the world once more? What if it was JUST a meteor just like the rest that lands in Midgar every other month? What changed Theobald's mind? He never did want anyone investigating Midgar, despite the current condition it was in.   
  
A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. Marlene almost jumped out of her seat at the sound, but calmed herself. She stood up and went to answer the door. She was surprised to find Theobald Silverberg standing there, yet his presence made her frown. She didn't really need his company right now. Marlene turned and left the door open for him to step inside the room. She sat back down on her desk and waited until he came in and closed the door behind him.   
  
"What do you want, Silverberg?" Marlene asked, putting her hands on her lap, impatiently.   
  
It was Theo's turn to sit opposite side of her on a chair. "Now is that a way to treat your President?"  
  
"Was it really the way to treat your girlfriend?" Marlene replied coldly, referring to the past they had together. She didn't know why she brought it up, but it just came out that way.   
  
"You know, that's not fair," Theo said, frowning. "We had our differences and besides..." He leaned closer towards her. "You were the one who broke it."  
  
Marlene sighed. "What can I do for you, Mr. President?"  
  
Theo grinned, knowing that he had won this argument. Satisfied, he leaned back on his chair and suddenly, his grin turned serious. "I apoligize for my behaviour earlier, Wallace. I know I should have informed you about it, but I couldn't resist. You have to believe me that there's something going on with that certain meteor that landed in Midgar. And there's no other way to find out what it is unless we have some of your best men investigate it."  
  
"Why are you so sure that there's something different about this meteor, Theobald?" She was used to calling the President by his first name that she was unable to stop herself.   
  
"Because it's bigger than the usual meteors we normally see land in Midgar. I even had the astronomers and the meteorologists check out the pictures of this certain meteor that a tourist took a picture of. They confirmed to me that it definitely was not a meteor, that it was surely something else." Theo stood up and started pacing around with a similar fashion as Marlene when she started pacing around in front of his own office. While they were dating, Marlene figured Theo probably picked up the habit from her then.   
  
"Then, why does it matter, Theo? So what if it's different than other meteors? Why bring my men into this?"  
  
"They are SOLDIER after all. Besides, someone mentioned to me once that they themselves wanted to take on a new challenge, like going on a dangerous mission. So... I'm giving them a chance!"  
  
"Someone?"  
  
Theo stopped pacing and looked at her, grinning. "Yeah and believe it when I say that it was your own nephew who came up to me and asked me about it." Theo grinned at the surprised look on Marlene's face.  
  
Marlene rubbed a hand at the top of her nose irritably. "Of all people..." she murmured, but stopped herself before going any further. She looked up and frowned again.   
  
"Frowning is so much unlike you, Marlene. I guess you got that habit from your father after all." Theo noticed her face turning red in anger. "And you got your temper from him as well." He started to leave, but her deep breath forced him to stop and turn to look at her curiously. "Is there something else you want to say, Marlene?"  
  
The woman took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. Right now, she wished she could shove Theo through a wall, but she couldn't do that. Then, she would REALLY lose her job. Plus, what would Reeve say when he finds out his son's head was stuck in the Lieutenant's wall? She respected the retired former President of Silverberg Inc. He was, after all, her father's and Cloud and Tifa's old friend. "I guess I have no choice, then Theo. I guess I'm sending myself and my men to Midgar."  
  
The young President grinned. "Good. By tomorrow morning at around six o'clock, better get your men ready, because I'll be sending the helicopters down for you."  
  
Marlene pretended to smile for a moment. "Great. I feel special already."  
  
Theo chuckled, but only for a short while, before he turned and left the room, leaving Marlene to wonder again on why she agreed to this?  
***************************  
The club was unusually quiet, but then again, Sileas knew this was going to happen. It was far too early for a club. He ran a hand through his short, silver hair and sighed, annoyed that Cedrik dragged him all the way here. Suddenly, he noticed a young woman staring at her. She was quite attractive, with green eyes, though not as bright as his and had long, brown wavy hair. She looked away when he noticed her looking and Sileas couldn't help but smile. For nineteen years, he hasn't really looked at any girls, but this one...she was different. Like he knew her somehow. Sileas looked away, trying to brush away that feeling of familiarity towards the girl who was eyeing him. Cedrik went off dancing with some girls, while Trina and Leon, of course went on their own to have a nice make out session. Sileas decided to stay here for no apparent reaon, only to sulk over the thought of Cedrik bringing him in a very boring place.  
  
"Please, don't go to Midgar," came a woman's voice. The silver haired youth was startled when he felt a warm hand over his that was resting on the table. Sileas looked at her curiously, gently removing his hand from under hers and lifted up an eyebrow.  
  
"What?" he asked in a deep, soft voice.  
  
The girl, who seemed to be sixteen, shook her head in dispair. "I said, please don't go to Midgar. If you do, then history will repeat itself."  
  
Sileas moved around uneasilly on his seat. What the heck was this girl talking about?  
  
"You will only bring yourself in danger if you go. It isn't worth it for you to go. ESPECIALLY for someone as special as you."  
  
"As special as me?" Sileas asked. "I don't know what you're talking about and I don't know how you know about our mission to Midgar, but please leave me alone."  
  
"Sileas..." The silver haired youth looked up shockingly at the mention of his name from the girl's lips.   
  
"How- how do you know my name?"   
  
"I know many things about you, Sileas. And I know a lot of things that you are unsure about. If you want to learn more, please don't go to Midgar. Just stay where you are. You will only bring danger to everyone around you if you go." This time, the girl had a pleading look in her eyes. Sileas stared into them for a moment, but turned away once again, frowning.  
  
Sileas glared at her alarmingly. "Is this come kind of joke?" He focused his eyes on something else besides the crazy girl who was already giving him the creeps.  
  
"Hey man! What's up? What are you doing sitting here instead of enjoying yourself?" Sileas turned back around to where the girl was suppose to be, but it was only Cedrik who was standing there. The girl was already gone. "Uh.. are you all right, Sil?" The dark haired boy noticed his silver haired friend frantically searching for something, or someone.   
  
Sileas jerked his head back up at his friend. "Huh? Oh yeah, I'm fine." He lifted up his cup full of beer to his lips and finished the last drop of it, before settling it back down on the table. Who was that girl? How does she know so much about him? "It has to be some kind of joke!" he said outloud.  
  
Cedrik looked at him curiously. "What?"  
  
The silver haired man sighed. "There was a girl here."  
  
"OOOh! A girl eh?" Cedrik winked at him, then nudged him hard in the arm. "Was she cute?"  
  
Sileas looked at him seriously. "It's not what you think. The girl seems to know me. She knows my name and she was warning me not to go to Midgar."  
  
"Wait a minute, how would she know about our mission to Midgar? Last time I checked, only those from SOLDIER know!" He glanced at his friend for an answer, but all the silver haired boy could do was shrug in response. He didn't know the answer either. "You know, she could've just sneaked in and listened to the Lieutenant talk about it to us."  
  
Sileas nodded. There was no other explanation BUT that. He sighed. "Yeah, you're right." He glanced at his watch. It was already quarter to six and if they don't leave soon, Lieutenant Wallace was going to have a fit. "Hey, we better get going. I'm going to pay for the beer and get the two loverbirds over there will ya?" He pointed his thumb over his shoulder at Trina and Leon who were going at it on a couch in the corner.   
  
Cedrik frowned. "Why can't you get them?"  
  
"Because you were the one who dragged me all the way here," Sileas replied as a matter of fact.   
  
Defeated, knowing that Sileas was right, Cedrik nodded and went to fetch their two companions, while Sileas went to the counter to pay for the beer and the non-alcoholic drinks Cedrik ordered. Personally, he was quite surprised that the energetic Cedrik, who enjoyed the company of clubs, drank only non-alcoholic drinks. Maybe it was because his mother, the legendary Avalanche member and wife of Cloud Strife told him not to. He once mentioned to him that he had a younger brother back home that his mother didn't want him to find out that his older brothe was drinking. She was afraid that Cedrik was going to influence the drinking towards the twelve year old, Ian. Sileas smirked at that thought. He never knew families could be so strict.  
  
Meanwhile, Cedrik was just fetching the two lovebirds, when a girl, sitting lonely in a table caught his eyes. She looked up and seemed to have noticed him looking at her. Cedrik wanted to look away, but her eyes were mesmerizing that he couldn't take his eyes off of her. The girl's eyes, though very sad, held a strong sense of attraction for him. Suddenly, she stood up and approached him. Cedrik stood there, dumbfounded, while the two people he was asked to fetch were still sitting on the couch, with their lips locked.   
  
"Hi," she spoke, with a straight face. She didn't seem happy at all. In fact, she seemed disappointed.  
  
"Hello..." Cedrik replied, breathlessly. He hadn't realized he was holding his breath for a long time until she came up to him.  
  
"Please don't go to Midgar. Don't let him go to Midgar." She nodded her head from behind him. Cedrik turned and noticed Sileas with his back towards him at the bar, waiting for the bar tender for their bills.   
  
Cedrik looked back at the girl and stared at her curiously. "Are you the girl my friend was talking about?"  
  
The girl nodded. "Yes."  
  
"Why won't you let him go to Midgar?"  
  
"Because Sileas will be in danger and if he goes, he will also bring danger into everyone else's lives."  
  
"How do you know his name? Who are you?" He put a hand on her shoulder, but the girl seem to go through his hand like a ghost. Cedrik pulled his hand away and shivered.  
  
"You can only see me. You can not touch me. I know his name because I know him from before. You are Cedrik Strife, the eldest son of the one who saved the world before. If you do not go to Midgar, then there is no need for war, but if you do, there will be. Your friendship with him will fade away if you go to the only place who will bring chaos in the world." She was suddenly fading away.  
  
Cedrik made an attempt to reach out to here, but she only disappeared faster. "Wait!" he called into nothing. Before he could ask her anymore, the girl was completely gone.  
  
"Hey! I called your name, dumbass! Why didn't you answer?"  
  
The dark haired boy blinked. He was suddenly facing a very irritated Leon Vargas, who was holding his girlfriend's hand. Trina stared at Cedrik curiously. "You all right, Strife?" she asked, lifting an eyebrow.  
  
Cedrik blinked again and nodded slowly.  
  
"Well, about time! I've been calling you for a few minutes now and it seems like you were just standing there, daydreaming or something." He pulled Trina with him again and started walking out of the club. Sileas joined the bewildered seconds later, staring at his friend and wondering what had gotten into him.  
  
"I met that girl you were talking about, Sileas," Cedrik replied to his friend's question just now.  
  
Sileas' pupils turned into serious slits. "So I wasn't just dreaming it, then? What- what did she say?"  
  
"She said the same thing she said to you. About not going to Midgar." Cedrik looked up. "Do you think she was serious about it?"  
  
Sileas shrugged. "I don't know. But whatever it is, we don't have time, because we're going to be late for the meeting. Let's get out of here."  
  
"You're right," Cedrik said, sighing. With that said, he followed his silver haired friend out the door and into the bright sunlight. If they didn't leave now, Cedrik will definitely have an irritable Aunt tonight for dinner.  
  
  
  
  
GoodGurl: Heh heh! I hope you all like! This is the first chapter I made from Final Fantasy 7 so as mentioned before PLEASE be gentle! ^_^; and PLEASE r/r thanx! ^_^ 


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